Nationals ponder Bendigo chances

The National party says it is a tough call to say whether it can win a three-cornered contest for the federal seat of Bendigo in central Victoria.

Bendigo is held by Labor by a margin of nearly 10 per cent but veteran MP Steve Gibbons is retiring and the ALP is facing a challenge from the Liberal Party.

The Nationals have also opted to contest the seat and the federal leader, Warren Truss, was in Bendigo yesterday to support the party's candidate Sarah Sheedy.

Mr Truss says his party has had success in central Victoria at the state level in the past.

"It'll be for the people to make that choice but we'll be giving them every reason to want to vote National so that there is a representative with a particular interest in regional Australia coming to the Federal Parliament from Bendigo and district," he said.